Napco Reports 10% RSR Jump in Fiscal Q4

Key Points

• Recurring Service Revenue rose 10% to $22.4 million, serving as the key growth driver and accounting for 44% of sales in Q4 FY2025.

• Equipment sales recovered sequentially but remained 5% below the prior year; gross margin and EPS both fell.

• Dividend remained flat at $0.14 per share, with no explicit outlook figures provided for the next year.

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Napco Security Technologies (NASDAQ:NSSC), a leader in commercial and residential electronic security solutions, reported mixed results in its earnings release on August 25, 2025. Recurring Service Revenue (RSR) was a standout, but equipment sales and gross margins both declined year-over-year. Net income (GAAP) and diluted earnings per share (GAAP) also dropped. This quarter marked stabilizing trends in some areas but ongoing pressure in others.

Business Overview and Key Focus Areas

Napco Security Technologies designs and manufactures security hardware and software for commercial, industrial, and residential buildings. Its products include intrusion alarms, access control hardware, electronic locks, and monitoring platforms that support safety and communication needs.

The company’s most important focus lately has been on building up recurring service revenue, which delivers predictable, high-margin income. This service is tied to cellular connectivity subscriptions for things like security alarms and remote management. Innovation and R&D spending continue to support this shift, while cost efficiency from Dominican Republic-based manufacturing helps protect margins. Increasing sales to the school safety market and providing complete, integrated security solutions remain top priorities for the business.

Fourth Quarter Developments: Revenue Trends, Product Mix, and Margins

GAAP revenue edged up just under 1% from the prior year, reaching $50.7 million. Recurring Service Revenue stood out with a 10% increase to $22.4 million. This revenue comes from monthly or annual charges for services like StarLink radios, which provide cellular communication and alarm connection, as well as the newly launched MVP Access platform for cloud-based entry control. RSR now makes up nearly half of total sales and enjoys a gross margin of 91%—by far the most profitable segment in the portfolio.

In contrast, equipment sales—revenue from physical security products such as alarms and electronic door locks—declined 5% year over year to $28.3 million. The company did manage a 27% sequential gain in equipment sales versus the previous quarter, suggesting distributors may be starting to rebuild inventory. However, the full-year picture shows a notable 16% decline in equipment sales for FY2025. Management cited ongoing distributor “destocking”—meaning dealers bought less to use up old inventory—as a reason for weak hardware revenues in Q3 FY2025. This hurt overall gross profits, even as RSR improved.

Gross profit margin dropped to 52.8% from 55.3% compared to the prior year. The company maintained its industry-leading RSR margin at 91%. Selling, general, and administrative expenses grew, including higher R&D and legal costs. Net income fell 14 % to $11.6 million, while adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization—a measure of core operating performance) shrank 7.6 %.

Despite these profit headwinds, Napco made significant improvements in operating cash flow, which reached $53.5 million (GAAP) for FY2025, thanks to reductions in inventory. The balance sheet remains solid, with $83.1 million in cash and no debt as of June 30, 2025. The company also highlighted its use of cash for shareholder returns: during FY2025, it paid $18.6 million in dividends and spent $36.8 million on stock buybacks.

The quarter included the public launch of the MVP Access platform, a cloud-based system enabling remote and recurring management of building and door security. This product launch is important because it expands the recurring service base, which management hopes will soon surpass the 50% threshold of total revenue, compared to 48% for FY2025. Investments in R&D also increased, reaching $12.6 million for FY2025, or almost 7% of net sales—supporting a pipeline of new products and features.

Looking Ahead: Guidance and Investor Watchpoints

Management maintained its dividend at $0.14 per share, with no increase or decrease for the coming period. It did not provide specific sales or earnings guidance for fiscal 2026, only indicating optimism about improving hardware demand and ongoing strength in recurring services. Continued pressure on EPS and margins means recovery in hardware and cost control will be key areas to monitor.

Investors should watch for any major change in equipment order trends, progress in recurring service mix, and signs of margin stabilization in the coming quarters. With no formal forward guidance offered, visibility on the timing of a broader rebound in hardware sales remains limited. NSSC does pay a dividend, which was unchanged at $0.14 per share.

Revenue and net income presented using U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) unless otherwise noted.

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